Protecting Water
by FriendlyLittleDemon
Summary: Kimiko Hio was destined for greatness, but was she ready for it? Will she be able to fight off her bloodlust and find love? With the help of her friends, she just might be able to... Rated for language and perverted occurences at times...
1. Introduction

Introduction

Kimiko Hio isn't your average thirteen year old. In fact, at this very moment, she's training to become a Genin, the lowest ninja level. She's best friends with the vessel for the Nine Tailed Fox, Naruto Uzumaki, the dog boy, Kiba Inuzuka, lazy boy, Shikamaru Nara, the guy who holds the record for most food eaten in one day, Choji Akimichi, and the daughter of the Ninja Who's Copied over a Thousand Jutsu, Aki Hatake. Not only is she training to be a ninja, but she just so happens to have her own demon inside her. This one is more prominent of a demon, though, considering that it protects her.

When she was born, Sora Hio, Kimiko's father, sealed the Two Tailed Wolf inside her before her umbilical cord was cut, killing her mother, Yuki Hio, instantly. The jutsu Sora used killed him in the process, also. She was given to Anko Mitarashi to be watched over. Anko had been her father's best friend and teammate as a child. Anko protected her as if she was her own child and was surprised when the wolf's powers started to shine through when Kimiko turned a year old.

The Two Tailed Wolf specialized in water techniques and kept a constant supply of water surrounding it.

When Kimiko was playing outside in the woods, a snake appeared and tried to bite her. What surprised Anko the most was that before she could rush forward and stop the snake…the water from a nearby river quickly flew to protect her. It wrapped around her in a sphere, acting as a shield, and hardened to ice. The snake bounced off and quickly slithered away as Anko stared in surprise. She took the young girl, who was laughing in glee at what had happened, to the Hokage as fast as she could.

From that day on, Kimiko Hio always carried water with her and began to learn water jutsus. The Hokage had some of the skilled ninja that worked with tools build her something more convenient to carry the water around in, but she wasn't able to get it until she became a ninja. Before she became a ninja, she just carried around a water bottle that she constantly had filled.

As a child, she was never accepted by the other kids. She was a sad child by nature always kept her guard up until she turned six. At that age, she met Naruto who didn't seem to be afraid of her in the least. She was confused at first, but soon started to smile and laugh again. Soon after she met Naruto, she met Shikamaru and Choji. Those two always seemed to be together because their dads were in the same squad when they were younger; they had grown up together. After that, she met up with Kiba Inuzuka and his dog Akamaru. She gave him some pointers on how he should go about taking care of the little white puppy. And finally, she met her number one best friend and rival, Aki Hatake.

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><p><strong>Author's NoteDisclaimer: I own nothing of Naruto but a few box sets, posters and Deidera's headband. Anyways, I just wanted to see what you guys thought of this. I know it's short, but that's why I titled it 'Introduction'. If you guys like it, then I'll put up the first chapter. If not, I'll never bring it up again. Review if you want me to continue with this one. Let me know what you think of Kimiko Hio, my OC, and if you wanna know more about Aki Hatake, another one of my OCs.**


	2. Chapter 1 Meeting the Team

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape or form. I do, however, own several seasons, a few cards, and Deidera's headband ^.^ Also, if I had owned Naruto in any way, would I honestly be writing this?**

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><p>Chapter 1 "Meeting the Team"<p>

I sighed and laid my hand in my palm, staring straight ahead. I was waiting for Iruka-sensei to call out what are teams are gonna be. I smirked when I saw my best friend kneeling on the desk in front of Sasuke. I stood and walked over to them carefully, smirking as Sasuke's fan-girls cheered him on over a glaring match… I walked behind Naruto and 'accidently' bumped him in the back. He was sent crashing forward and I choked on my laughter when Sasuke and Naruto locked lips, both wide eyed. I laughed hysterically when they pulled apart and held onto my stomach.

"Oh, that couldn't have gotten much funnier!" I giggled and hopped over the desk Naruto was still leaning on, gagging, and sat in my seat beside Sasuke. Iruka knew that out of all the girls in the class, other than Hinata and Aki, I was the least fan girlish. I mean, I don't really like him, but I don't hate him either. He's…interesting, I guess.

"Kimiko, what'd you do that for?" Naruto yelled, holding onto his throat. Sasuke looked like he was about to barf.

"Uh, 'cause it was funny." I smirked and propped my elbow up on the table, laying my cheek in my open palm. I sensed danger as Naruto continued to gag. I glanced boredly at the Sasuke fan club and saw them all give Naruto the death glare. "Naruto…you might…wanna run." I suggested and he looked up at me.

"Danger?" He asked and I nodded, gesturing in the direction of the crowd of angry girls. About five seconds later, they attacked, led by Sakura Billboard Brow and Ino-Pig.

"Can't you control your fan-girls, Uchiha?" I asked him curtly, glancing at him as one of my best friends was being pummeled.

"No." He said in a monotone voice and I sighed.

The Sasuke Fan Club eventually let up on Naruto and he sat on my other side, bruised and battered, before Iruka-sensei entered and commanded everyone to sit down. He then began his speech.

"As of today, you are all ninjas. To get here, you faced difficult trials and hardship." He smiled. "But that's nothing. What comes next will be far more difficult. Right now, you're only Genin; first level ninjas. All the Genin will be grouped into three man squads. Each squad will be led by a Jonin; an elite ninja."

I immediately looked up at this and glanced around the room. If I had the choice of who would be in my team, I'd probably pick Aki and Kiba. They're both strong and two of my best friends. Plus, Aki would pose as a constant challenge for me.

"We want each squad to have a balance of strength and ability, so that's how we set them up." Iruka-sensei continued. "I will now announce the squads." He said and the first one he called was Squad 1. "Squad 1: Sakura Haruno, Kimura Zaiki, and Ino Yamanaka." I instantly felt a cold chill going down my spine and turned to where Ino and Sakura were sitting, on either side of Kimura. He had slid down in his seat as the two girls shot daggers at each other. I smirked and listened to the rest of the teams until he came upon Squad 7. "Squad 7: Naruto Uzumaki." He looked up with an 'hmm' sound at the sound of his name. "Kimiko Hio." Naruto and I grinned identically. Come on, sensei, at least put in Kiba. Please, put in Kiba! Anybody but… "And Sasuke Uchiha."

…He just loves to ruin my buzz, doesn't he? Naruto and I both slumped and I could hear Kiba snickering in his seat in front of me. I growled and spun open the lid on my water bottle. The water instantly started to slink out of the bottle and I concentrated it on the dog boy in front of me. It crawled under my desk and up his chair. I let my concentration go when it reached his lap. He yelped and stood quickly.

"Kimiko!" He yelled angrily and the other Genin in the class laughed when he turned towards me. I simply cocked an eyebrow innocently with a straight face.

"What?" I asked slowly.

He groaned and sat back down. I smirked devilishly as Iruka-sensei sighed and looked up at me.

"Kimiko, please fix what you've done." He begged and I scowled, rolling my eyes, but did as he asked.

"Yes, sensei…" I mumbled and called the water back to me, setting my water bottle back down on my desk. The water that had landed on Kiba floated into the air and crept back into my water bottle in a creepy sorta way. I sighed sadly as most of the kids in the room started to whisper and stare at me in fear or anger. People had always done that to me and I don't know why. The only people in the village that didn't stare at me in fear or anger or sorrow was Sasuke, Kiba, Shikamaru, Aki, Naruto, Hinata, Shino, Iruka-sensei, the Hokage, Anko, and Choji. Everyone else was afraid of me. I never understood it as a child. I mean, yeah, I used water all the time when I was a kid. It was my life source. It was with me wherever I went and it protected me.

"Thank you." Iruka-sensei smiled sadly at me as I looked down, crestfallen, and screwed the cap back onto my water bottle. I hated that this was the way everyone around me saw me. "Next, Squad 8: Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Abarame."

I leaned back towards where Shikamaru was sitting behind me. "Hey, who do you think you'll get stuck with?" I whispered and he sighed.

"This is all such a drag. Knowing my luck, I'm probably gonna get stuck with an idiot and a Sasuke obsessed girl." He said dryly and I laughed lightly.

"Well, most girls would ask you how you don't like Sasuke." I stated with a smirk, which he returned.

"And I'd say that I'm not a girl." He replied and I giggled, facing forward again.

"Now, Squad 10: Aki Hatake, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi." Iruka-sensei finished and I smiled. That group was a good one. They'd work together real well. Kiba, Hinata, and Shino would make a great survival team. Ino, Sakura, and Kimura…well, they probably won't even get passed the next week with the way Ino and Sakura fight all the time. I had no clue what kinda team Naruto, Sasuke, and I would be because I've never seen any of Sasuke's jutsu. "Those are all the squads."

"Iruka-sensei, why does a great ninja like me have to be in the same group as a slug like Sasuke?" Naruto asked after he shot from his seat.

"Sasuke had the best scores of all the graduating students and Kimiko came in second. Naruto, you had the worst scores." Iruka-sensei informed and I grinned, happy that I came in at least the top three. That's just awesome. That means that I'm the top female Genin in our year. That makes me proud of myself. "To create a balanced group, we put the best students with the worst student."

Naruto groaned and Sasuke scoffed, still looking forward with his hands clasped in front of his face as he spoke.

"Just make sure you don't get in my way, loser."

"Hey, what did you say?" Naruto yelled and I sighed.

"Hard of hearing?" Sasuke retorted.

"Naruto, if you don't sit your ass down right now, I'm gonna rip you a new one." I stated blandly. I looked straight ahead with my cheek rested in my palm. I was tapping to the beat of the new song that Aki and I were working on. It was supposed to be a sad song. I was gonna play my flute and she was gonna play her keyboard.

"Ahem!" Iruka-sensei said loudly and we all looked at him as I carelessly pulled Naruto back into his seat. "After lunch, you'll meet your new Jonin teachers. Until then, class dismissed." He said before he walked off. I stood quickly and walked with Aki and Shikamaru down to Choji.

"Hey, I guess I'm gonna eat with you guys today since Naruto took off after Sakura and Sasuke disappeared as soon as Iruka-sensei said we could go." I told them and they nodded.

"Well, better you than a Sasuke fan girl." Aki rolled her eyes and I grinned while we walked outside and headed to my apartment building. We all joked around when we got there and they went up to the roof while I grabbed a bucket full of rice balls and lugged them up the stairs. When I got to the roof, I set the bucket down and grabbed a rice ball, sitting down next to Choji. Shikamaru and Aki leaned against the railing beside us.

"This is all such a pain." Shikamaru complained and Aki laughed.

"Hey, look on the bright side. At least you didn't get stuck with the Ino-Pig." She shrugged and Shikamaru smiled gruffly.

"Oh that's true. She'd try to take control and be the leader." He agreed, chewing on his food. "Probably pitch a fit if she didn't get her way, too." I giggled lightly at this because we all knew that she would.

"Yeah, maybe she'd lead us to some barbeque!" Choji said excitedly and I sweat dropped.

"Naruto." Shikamaru suddenly said and we all looked towards where he was looking. I blinked slowly as I saw one of my partners slowly slinking towards the open window of Sasuke's apartment. He was leaning against the window and eating his lunch, not knowing the poor danger that Naruto could cause to him was coming. We all gaped as Naruto jumped through the window and tackled Sasuke to the ground. I couldn't see what happened next, so I made some of my water float into the apartment. Part of my powers allows me to see what's going on wherever my water is.

"Naruto!" I saw Sasuke say angrily.

"Pipe down!" Naruto replied as he tied him up and put a gag over his mouth.

"What's going on?" Aki asked curiously and I smirked, opening my eyes. I took a bite from my food as the window opened and 'Sasuke' jumped out. We saw him smirk before he ran off. "So he got away?"

"He beat Naruto without even breaking a sweat…" Shikamaru observed and I smirked.

"Not exactly…" I muttered and ate the last of my food. "I gotta go, guys." I said as I hugged Aki, then scooped down and hugged Shikamaru's neck, who groaned in protest. I then walked over to Choji and allowed him to give me one of his awesome hugs. Seriously, dude gives a great hug. "Bye!" I called as I jumped across the apartments and crawled into Sasuke's apartment, calling my water back. I looked down at Sasuke, all tied up and gagged on the floor. "Yo, partner." I greeted as I knelt down beside him and held my cheeks in my hands with a huge smile.

He glared and said something, but it was muffled.

"What? Sorry, I didn't catch that." I taunted and he seemed to try to yell something. "Still can't hear you. Ooh, maybe this'd work." I mumbled as I grabbed the tape on his mouth. His eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, but I just grinned wider and quickly pulled the tape off.

"Ow!" He yelled and glared at me with red marks around his mouth. "Now untie me. I got an idiot to kill."

I sighed as I started to untie his feet first. He had sat up so I could get to them easier. "You know, he's only doing this to get Sakura's attention. He's probably already messed it up anyway, so…" I trailed off and decided to use a kunai instead. I pulled a kunai out from my holster and slit the rope holding his legs together before doing the same to his wrist bindings.

"Whatever." He muttered and stood, preparing to go out his front door. I shrugged and decided to follow him. About half way through the village, I stepped into sync with him and he glanced at me before looking forward again. "Why are you following me?"

"I wanna see Naruto's mess before you ruin it." I answered with a small smile and he nodded. We continued walked until we came upon Sakura, sitting on a bench. She jumped up with an excited gasp and a blush as she saw Sasuke.

"Oh, Sasuke, you're back! Don't be so shy, you bad boy!" She scolded childishly and I raised an eyebrow. Is she for real? "Are you ready now? You know, mentally prepared? Because I am; I mean, I'm raring to go! Hey, wait a minute!" She said as we just kept walking. Sasuke paused and looked around.

"Where's Naruto?" He asked and she smiled.

"See, there you go changing the subject again."

"What subject?" I asked in a ridiculing voice, but she ignored me…like everyone who doesn't know me does. She must be one of the kids who're afraid of me.

"Anyway, Naruto just picks fights with you. You know why he's so annoying? Because he wasn't raised right." She continued and my eyes shot to her angrily. "He doesn't have a mother or father to teach him right for wrong. Think about it! He just does whatever comes into his head!"

I growled and Sasuke glared at her with me. I knew that Sasuke knew the same loneliness and pain that Naruto and I felt of not having a real family. I mean, yeah, Anko's great and all, but it's not the real thing.

"If I did things like Naruto, forget it! I mean, my parents would get mad and I'd get in trouble, so of course I don't do it. But if you don't have parents to tell you, how would you know? He's selfish and bratty! He's all alone!"

"Alone, isolated…" Sasuke whispered and I glanced at him with Sakura.

"You're an idiot, Haruno." I snapped angrily and stepped towards her, water immediately pooling at my feet. She stepped back in fear and I growled, narrowing my eyes. "It's not about your parents scolding you for something stupid! You'd never feel the same pain that Sasuke, Naruto, and I have all gone through! Sasuke had it worse, though…" I whispered the last bit as the water calmed down and turned to puddles again. It had rained yesterday, so the puddles were leftover.

"You have no idea what it means to be alone." Sasuke mumbled, not looking at Sakura, but clearly talking to her. He was more so looking at me in understanding. I gulped as his eyes told me to calm down and pulled the water back in, adding the water from the puddles.

"W-why are you saying that?" Sakura asked, shocked.

"Because…" Sasuke paused as he turned slightly to look at her over his shoulder. "…you're annoying." Sakura gasped in a drama queen way and Sasuke and I walked away. Once we were out of hearing, he glanced at me as I glared at the ground, sucking up any water we passed. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" I looked up, snapping out of my angry daze. He just stared at me, so I blinked and swallowed, looking down again. "Yeah, I'm fine. I should be asking if you were fine or not, though." I admitted as I looked up at him through my eyelashes.

"I'm fine." He retorted curtly and I sighed as we continued on our way.

A ninja suddenly jumped out at us and I recognized it to be one of the ninjas that watch the gates and help out the Hokage, Izumo, appeared in front of us. I blinked and cocked my head to the side as he stood in front of me and Sasuke eyed him untrustworthily.

"Kimiko Hio, the Hokage wishes to see you right away." Izumo said and I smiled.

"Okay, hold up." I turned to Sasuke, who raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, but when you see Naruto, tell him I said he's an idiot. Okay? Great, thanks." I said before he had a chance to answer and Izumo and I started to run towards the Hokage's mansion.

When we got there, we walked up the stairs and towards the Hokage's office, where he knocked softly.

"Come in." A gravelly voice called from the other side and Izumo opened the door, gesturing me in. "Ah, Kimiko, good, you made it." He smiled roughly and I nodded.

"Yeah. Not to be rude or anything, but could we make this quick for whatever I did wrong now 'cause I gotta get back to the academy?" I asked and Izumo raised an eyebrow with an amused smile before he ducked out of the room. The Hokage was smiling largely. "What?" I asked and he beckoned me closer.

"Close our eyes." He commanded when I stood in front of him. I furrowed my brows in confusion, but closed my eyes none the less. I felt something being put on my neck and frowned. "Okay, open them." He said and I opened my eyes. I reached up and grabbed what was around my neck to see a beautiful blue crystal hanging from a gold chain. It hung low on my chest, just between my cleavage, and over my shirt. I picked it up and looked at it. I looked even closer into the crystal to see flowing water. I gaped at it when I noticed it looked like a mini-ocean.

"What is this for?" I whispered, but I knew he heard me.

"It holds the water that you use so you don't have to carry around a water bottle anymore. It has an endless supply built in, thanks to one of our top water ninjas. It's to help protect you since you have the Two Tailed Wolf in you."

I sighed, but nodded. "Okay. Am I able to put more water into the crystal?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yes, it was a piece of your ice shield. Anko had brought it to me as proof when your powers first revealed themselves. I kept it and made it into something useful. Since it is a part of your shield, it's a part of you and is combined with your chakra. As long as the water you put in has your chakra in it, it will always have room for more." He promised and I smiled.

"Cool." I then opened my water bottle and pulled all of the water out. It swirled around me mystically for a moment before I concentrated and pulled it all into the crystal. When it was done I felt a little dizzy. "That'll take some getting used to."

"Yes, you are used to just pulling it into a water bottle, but now you have to infuse your chakra with it and pull it into a crystal. You'll get the hang of it eventually." He patted me on the head. "Now you should get back to the Academy. Good luck."

"Thanks. Bye, Lord Hokage!" I called and as I walked out I tossed my now empty water bottle into a trash can as I left.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Alright, well, I apologize greatly for my absence on FF. I just finished moving and we're all unpacked. We also had to wait for the internet people to come and hook it up here again. So, now I'll try to update all my stories. Review please!<strong>


	3. Chapter 2 Pass or Fail

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Naruto, unless it's a manga book, a few of the seasons, some cards, and Deidera's headband. I also came close to owning a Jashin-sama pendent, too...but my friend wouldn't allow me to steal it and kept her eyes on it 24/7 whenever I was over at her house ^.^ Anyways, on with the chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 2 "Pass or fail; Survival Test"<p>

"He's late!" Naruto complained and I sighed, crossing my arms. I was sitting on a desk beside Sasuke with my legs crossed. Sasuke was sitting at the desk beside me, but he was actually sitting like a normal person, in a chair. The way I was sitting kinda reminded me of a dog.

"Naruto, looking back and forth down the hall's not gonna make our sensei come any faster." I stated slowly as I toyed with my new necklace. "Just sit and wait."

"I don't want to! How come our teacher's the only one that's late? I'm ready to roll! Believe it!" He then turned towards me and let the door slide close again. "The other groups already met their new teachers and took off on some adventure or something and Iruka-sensei's gone, too!"

I sighed and looked up at him. I let my necklace drop to my chest again. "Naruto, we know, okay? But you freaking out isn't helping." I raised an eyebrow as he pulled a stool over to the door and climbed on top of it with a chalkboard eraser in hand. "You're not gonna…are you?" I let the question trail off with a smirk. Sasuke looked up finally and paid attention.

Naruto laughed. "That's what he gets for coming late! Surprise!" He yelled and jumped down from the stool. He pushed it out of the way as I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"Naruto, do you really think that'll work. I mean, yeah, it'd be funny if it did, but are you forgetting what our teacher's supposed to be?" I asked with a smirk.

Sasuke closed his eyes. "Our teacher's a Jonin; an elite ninja. Think he'll fall for that?"

"The dude's got a point." I shrugged as Naruto glared.

He then giggled when a hand appeared to open the door more. I raised an eyebrow as a silver head came through and our new 'Jonin' sensei got hit in the head by the eraser with a satisfying thud. It was silent for a moment before Naruto burst out laughing and I smiled.

"I got him! He totally fell for it!" Naruto pointed.

"Wow…can't believe that actually worked." I mused with a smirk and stifled a giggle. I still had my arms crossed.

The sensei bent down to pick up the eraser and he looked at it as he spoke. "Hmm…how can I put this?" He then looked up at us. He closed his eyes and held his hand to his chin in thought. "My first impression of this group… you're a bunch of idiots."

Sasuke, Naruto, and I all narrowed our eyes and slumped slightly.

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><p>"Alright." The sensei had led us to the roof of one of the buildings in town. He was leaning against the railing on the roof and we were sitting on the steps. Sasuke was one step above and Naruto and I were below. I was on Sasuke's right and Naruto was on his left. "Why don't you introduce yourselves? One at a time."<p>

"Introduce ourselves?" I asked with a raised eyebrow from my spot. I had my arms crossed over my legs and I was leaning forward. "By that, what do you want us to say?"

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies, things like that." He shrugged.

"Why don't you tell us stuff first? I mean, before we talk, tell us about you, so that we can see how it's supposed to work." Naruto proposed.

"Me?" He pointed to himself. "I'm Kakashi Hatake."

I immediately raised my hand and he raised an eyebrow, gesturing to me. "Is that in any relation to Aki Hatake?"

"Yes, she's my daughter." He said bluntly and I sweat dropped. I had never met Aki's father… "Anyways, things I like and things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future… never really thought about it. As for my hobbies…I have lots of hobbies."

"Well, that was boring. The only usable information he gave was his name." I said to Naruto and he nodded and hummed in agreement.

"Okay, your turn." Kakashi stated and we looked back up at him. "You on the left, you first." He nodded to Naruto.

"Believe it!" He said and started to play with his headband. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen in a cup and I really like the ramen Iruka-sensei got me at the Ichiraku Noodle Shop. But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobbies are eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them and pulling pranks with Kimiko. And my future dream is…to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody; somebody important!"

Kakashi was silent for a minute before he looked to me. "Alright, next."

"Okay, um…I'm Kimiko Hio." I shrugged and kept in my position. "I like wolves, water, ramen, playing pranks with Naruto, and hanging out with Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, and Aki. I hate Sasuke fan girls and the heat. My hobbies are perfecting my jutsu and playing the flute. My dream for the future is to find my origins because I know that I'm not originally from Konoha. I also wouldn't mind rebuilding my clan since my guardian said I was the last in my family." I shrugged.

"Last one." Kakashi called and we all looked at Sasuke.

He narrowed his eyes. "My name…is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone."

Naruto and I both had wide eyes as we looked at him and we were both probably thinking the same thing. _"I hope he doesn't mean me…"_ Sasuke's scary when he's determined, I know that. I remember when he was first learning the fire ball jutsu. He wouldn't give up until he mastered it. It was his family's main jutsu, so it makes since.

"Good!" Kakashi said, causing us all to look up at him. "You're each unique and you have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow."

"What kind of mission are we going to have?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"A test that the four of us will do together."

"What, what, what?"

"A survival exercise."

"Huh? Survival exercise?"

"Weren't we supposed to only do that in the Academy?" I asked, my head cocked to the side.

"This is not like your previous training." Kakashi stated.

"So, uh, so uh…what kinda training is it, then?" Naruto asked and Kakashi giggled. He giggled; that just sounded weird…

"What the heck are you giggling about over there?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes. "That was one of the simplest questions I've ever heard!"

"Well, if I tell you the answer, you're not gonna like it." Kakashi said and we just stared at him expectantly. "Of the 27 graduates who just came here, only twelve will actually be accepted as Genin. The other 15 will be weeded out and sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a make it or break it, pass or fail test and the chance that you'll fail is at least 66%." We all looked crestfallen. "See, didn't I say you wouldn't it?"

"That's crazy!" Naruto yelled. "We worked hard to get here! Believe it! What was that graduation test for anyway?"

"Oh that? That was just to select candidates who might become Genin. Or not."

"What?"

"That's how it is." Kakashi said forcefully. "I'll decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at 5 am and bring your ninja gear."

"_I've made it too far to just quit now. I'm definitely gonna pass and find my origins so I can restore my clan! I can't do that unless I become a great ninja, like Anko said my mother and father were." _I thought determinedly.

"That's it, you're dismissed." Kakashi waved his hand as he turned away from us and prepared to leave. Oh, tomorrow, you better skip breakfast or else…you'll puke." With that, he disappeared and left us to find our own ways back home.

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><p>I stifled a yawn as Sasuke, Naruto and I met at the training ground with our ninja gear. Sasuke looked wide awake and Naruto looked like he was sleep-walking. I hadn't eaten breakfast, but then again, I never do. I'm never hungry in the morning so I don't eat breakfast. I'm one of those eat when you're hungry types.<p>

Eventually, the time flew and both Naruto and I were sitting on the ground. I was sitting like a dog again. Sasuke was the only one standing and I couldn't help but to wonder what he was thinking so hard about as he stared at the ground. I glanced up at the sun to see it was about 9 o' clock now.

"Morning, everyone." Kakashi said when he finally appeared. "Ready for your first day?"

"Hey, you're late!" Naruto and I yelled and shot into standing positions.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way." I could tell he was smiling because his only visible eye was. We all glared at him and he noticed. "Well…" He cleared his throat. "Let's get started." He ordered and walked over to three wooden pillars, setting down a clock. "Here we go." He pushed down the alarm button. "It's set for noon." He then held up two silver bells tied to red strings. "Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. That's all there is to it. If you can't get one before noon, you go without lunch. You'll be tied to those posts and you'll watch while I eat my lunch in front of you." He pointed towards the pillars and I growled.

"That's why he told us not to eat breakfast…" I mused lowly and Naruto whined. "Wait, hold up! There are three of us and only two bells! Who doesn't get a bell then?"

"Well, that way, at least one of you will end up tied to a post and ultimately disqualify you for failing to complete the mission." Kakashi smiled. "That one goes back to the Academy. Then again, all three of you could flunk out, too. You can use any weapon, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells."

"Sensei, are you sure about that? I mean, my jutsu and natural abilities are pretty deadly, and so are Sasuke's. It's too dangerous." I asked worriedly. The last time Anko challenged me to do something like this, I almost killed her.

Naruto laughed. "Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser!"

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them. Lowest scores, losers." Kakashi stated and Naruto growled. "When I say start, you can begin."

I jumped when Naruto pulled out a kunai and charged at Kakashi. I blinked when Kakashi appeared behind him and grabbed his kunai hand, holding it pointed at his head. Sasuke and I stepped back.

"Don't be in such a hurry." Kakashi stated as if he were talking about the weather and not holding Naruto in a dangerous position. "I didn't say start yet." He let Naruto go.

"_He's faster than Aki and me…we were the fastest ninjas at the Academy…"_ I thought with narrowed eyes.

"But you came at me with the full intention of destroying me. So… how could I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys. Get ready." We all kneeled and got ready to jump away. "And…start!" He yelled and we jumped off in different directions.

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><p>I started to think of a strategy to get a bell as I hid in a tree, watching Kakashi closely behind leaved branches.<p>

"Ninja must know how to conceal their movement and hide effectively." I heard Kakashi say. "Well, they understand that much. They've hidden well."

I could use my water to sneak up on him like I did with Kiba. That'd probably work, but I'm not so sure. I still couldn't believe that Kakashi only having two bells was to send at least one of us back to the Academy. If he's anything like Aki, he's got a hidden meaning behind his words…

"Oh, please don't tell me he's…" I whispered lowly as I watched Naruto stalk up to Kakashi.

"You and me, right now, fair and square!" Naruto yelled. "Let's go!"

Kakashi deadpanned. "You know, compared to the others, you're a little weird."

"Oh yeah? The only thing weird here is your haircut!" Naruto ran forward, yelling. He jumped back when we saw Kakashi reach into his hip holster.

"Shinobi Battle Techniques, part one." Kakashi said boredly. "Taijutsu, the physical art."

"_Taijutsu?"_ I thought slowly. _"If he's gonna use that then why's he reaching for a weapon? That's hand-to-hand combat."_

I sweat dropped when Kakashi pulled out an orange book. I used some of the water from the nearby lake to see that it said Make-Out Paradise on the cover. Oh, great…we got a perverted sensei.

"What the…?" Naruto said, confused.

"What are you waiting for? Make a move." Kakashi commanded, reading his book.

"But…I mean…why are you reading that book?"

"Why? To find out what happens in the story, of course." Kakashi answered, not taking his eye off the page he was reading. "Don't let it bother you. With your weak attack, it doesn't really matter if I'm reading or whatever."

"I'm going to crush you!" Naruto bellowed as he ran forward to land a punch. Kakashi easily caught it with his hand, still not looking up. Naruto quickly spun to kick him in the head, but Kakashi ducked. "Now you're mine!" He yelled and threw a punch, but Kakashi appeared behind him.

"Don't let your enemies get behind you all the time." Kakashi suggested as he did a hand sign with his book between his hands.

"_Tiger…?" _I thought, reading the hand sign. _"He's going to destroy him!"_

"Naruto, run! That hand sign's for a fire jutsu! You'll get killed!" I yelled, knowing I just gave away my hiding spot.

"Hmm?" Naruto looked over at me.

"Too late." Kakashi stated. "Leaf Village Secret Jutsu!" He rammed his hands forward, still in the same position…right into Naruto's butt. He then pushed him into the air, kicking up a ton of dirt. "A Thousand Years of Death!"

"Oh, my…are you serious?" I whispered angrily as I quickly moved from my hiding spot to another one. I watched as Naruto went flying into the lake. "That wasn't even a hand sign…" I growled and landed in a tree.

"Those two are just total idiots…" I heard and looked upwards to see Sasuke in a branch above me. He hadn't noticed me, so I grabbed onto his branch and flipped myself up to stand beside him.

"Hey, I've got an idea to get the bells." I whispered and he looked at me. "I know that, just by seeing his Taijutsu level, I can't get a bell just by using my abilities. His senses are too enhanced; he'd notice immediately. I think that you, me, and Naruto are supposed to work together to get the bells."

"No." He said simply and I growled.

"Why not?" I asked angrily.

"You'd just get in the way." He replied and reached to pull out a kunai.

"That's not going to work…" I mumbled, but he ignored me. "Don't believe me? Then watch what Naruto's about to do." I snapped. I knew what he was about to do because I had put some of my water in the lake when he fell in. I could see what he was doing.

Two shuriken flew from the water and went straight for Kakashi, but he caught them on his fingers after he turned the page. I looked at Sasuke and he slowly let his hand drop.

I rolled my eyes. "Now will you work with Naruto and me?" I asked and he glanced at me.

"I'm not working with that idiot." He mumbled and a pressure point appeared on the back of my head.

"You're too stubborn for your own good." I replied and dropped back down to my branch, watching intently.

Naruto climbed out of the water and I sneakily called back my water to my shield.

"What are you doing now? You know you won't get lunch unless you take a bell by noon." Kakashi stated, reading still.

"I know, I know! You told us that already!" The water logged Naruto yelled.

"You look pretty wobbly for someone who's going to surpass the Hokage."

Naruto's stomach growled. "You told us not to eat breakfast! How can I fight when I'm starving to death?"

I heard Sasuke's stomach growl and looked up to see him blushing slightly. I giggled quietly and he glared at me.

"So you caught me off guard, that's all it was!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi turned and walked away. "Believe it! I'm so hungry. I don't have any strength, but I can't let that stop me. I gotta get one of those bells no matter what! I'll find the strength somehow. Believe it! I'm gonna pass this test and I'm not going back to the Academy! I will become a ninja!"

I watched in expectance as seven Narutos jumped out of the water. He had used the Shadow Clone Jutsu when he was in the water earlier.

"Ha, ha! You're overconfident, sensei!" One of the Narutos yelled. "That's why you weren't ready for a shadow clone attack, my best jutsu!"

I sweat dropped. "That's basically his only good jutsu…" I whispered.

"Hmm. Looks like the stories are true…he can create shadow clones." Kakashi mused. He closed his book and put it back in his bag. "Great technique, but I don't think you can maintain it for very long. You talk like you're the best, Naruto, but you're still the worst student. You can't beat me with this jutsu." I blinked when I heard a bell ring and looked up to see a Naruto had a hold of him from behind. "What? He got me from behind!"

"Didn't you say don't let your enemies get behind you?" The Naruto chuckled. "Good advice, sensei, believe it!" Three clones grabbed onto each of Kakashi's legs and one jumped in the air. "I had one of my clones come out of the river then sneak up behind you, super quiet."

"Now this is for nailing me in the butt earlier!" The Naruto in the air yelled as he went to throw a punch. "You're mine and so are those bells!" He punched…another Naruto.

"Huh…Substitution Jutsu." I mumbled. "Smart, Kakashi."

"It's you…" A Naruto observed. "You're Kakashi-sensei, aren't you? You transformed into me using a jutsu!" All of the Narutos started fighting each other and I sweat dropped. Naruto never paid attention when we were learning about most of the jutsu. He was usually out playing pranks or messing with Shikamaru.

Naruto then undid the jutsu and he was the only one standing there, battered and bruised.

"_Just as I thought. A Substitution Jutsu. Essentially, it's a skill used to quickly switch one's own body with an object. This makes your enemy think you're being attacked, but then you strike during their unguarded moment. After letting himself get caught by the real Naruto, Kakashi switched bodies with one of the clone Narutos. Not only did he make Naruto think he'd been nailed, he used Naruto's own attack on him. Naruto looked like an idiot, fighting with himself like that."_ I thought in explanation.

"A bell?" Naruto suddenly yelled and I looked down to see a bell by a nearby tree. "I must have gotten him with my attack. He dropped a bell!" He ran forward to get it and my eyes widened. Before I could stop him, Naruto stepped in a trap and ended up dangling upside down from a tree like a fish. "Hey, let me down!"

Kakashi appeared and picked up the bell, facing Naruto. He sighed. "Think before you use a jutsu or else your opponent might use it against you. Oh, and also, if the bait is obvious, don't take it." He smiled and Naruto fumed. "A ninja must see through deception."

"I…get…it!" Naruto yelled, trying to get down.

"I'm telling you this because you don't get it!" Kakashi replied. "You think you get it, which is not the same as actually getting it, get it?"

I gasped in surprise when four kunai and two shuriken flew over my head from where Sasuke was kneeling and went straight for Kakashi.

"Won't you ever learn?" Kakashi asked before he was nailed with the shuriken and kunai.

"Sasuke!" I yelled in surprise, but he kept a straight face.

"Ah! He just got blasted by shuriken!" Naruto yelled. "Are you out of your mind, Sasuke? You went too far!"

I watched in horror as Kakashi seemed to be falling to the ground in slow-mo.

**Author's Note: Alright, well, there's the next chapter! It took me forever to write it 'cause I had to actually sit down and watch the episode to get it right, so sorry for the long wait! Please tell me your thoughts and ideas for this story and I'll take them into consideration! I take constructive critism rather well and give it back tenfold if I can, so please don't be afraid to tell me your honest opinions! Review, please!**


	4. Chapter 3 You Fail!

**Disclaimer: Seriously, do you really think I'd be writing this if I owned it? No? Didn't think so!**

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><p>Chapter 3: You fail; Kakashi's Final Decision<p>

I blinked angrily as the Kakashi I thought had just got injured by Sasuke turned into a log, covered in the shuriken and kunai that Sasuke threw. "Dammit!" I yelled and quickly ran in a different direction than Sasuke. He had just given away both of our hiding spots.

I jumped from tree to tree until I decided to land in a bush. "Phew…" I mumbled. "I just hope he didn't sense me moving…"

"Kimiko, behind you." I heard a voice whisper and I turned slowly to see Kakashi sitting behind me. I growled and stood, ready to fight. He performed a hand sign and I tensed, ready for anything. A leaf whirl wind appeared around me and I growled, looking around like a cornered kitten. It was darker now and I was in a clearing.

I looked around untrustworthily, waiting for something, anything, to pop out and attack.

"Kimiko…" I heard a familiar voice whisper and turned quickly.

"Anko?" I said questioningly and gasped.

She had multiple kunai imbedded in her back and she was missing an arm. She had a pool of blood forming around her. "Kimiko, help me…" She pleaded but I stayed put and narrowed my eyes.

"Yeah, right. Anko's still asleep, I bet. She won't wake up for another three hours since she was out drinking last night with some friends…" I said and preformed a hand sign. "Release!" I yelled (I'm pretty sure even Naruto and Sasuke heard me, wherever they were) and the Genjutsu slowly disappeared. 'Anko' smiled at me before she disappeared. I smirked and turned around to find Kakashi behind me, reading. "Nice one."

"I try. Shinobi Battle Skill #2: The allusion jutsu." He mused, glancing up at me. "You caught on easily. I thought I made Anko convincing enough."

I scoffed and placed my hands on my hips. "Yeah, right! Anko's too proud to ever ask for help, even if she has an arm ripped off!"

"Yeah, that's true. She's very stubborn…" He agreed and I smiled fondly. He looked up at me. "She taught you well."

"I'll pass on the message." I stated blandly and crouched, ready for anything. He simply smiled and put his book away.

"I have a feeling I'm gonna need to pay attention." He answered my questioning gaze and I glared. I did a hand sign to focus my chakra. The water from the lake crept over to us and surrounded me in waves. Kakashi narrowed his eye as I did a few more hand signs.

"Ice Style: Ice Kunai Jutsu!" I yelled and the water shot into the air, freezing in the shape of ice kunai. They shot towards Kakashi and he quickly jumped out of the way. "Deadly Maiden's Touch!" I commanded, doing more hand signs. The water latched onto Kakashi's feet and froze. It started to inch up his legs and he struggled to get free. "Don't bother. This jutsu only freezes you faster the more you struggle." I informed him and he froze, looking up at me with a wide eye. I smirked, starting to feel sadistic. It always happens when I use this jutsu. I always have a thirst for blood. "Once it reaches your chest, your heart will freeze and you'll die. I'll maybe let you go if you handed over a bell."

"Kimiko, calm down!" Kakashi ordered, trying to remain calm. "You don't really want to kill anyone, do you?" He asked and my eyes snapped to his. I could see the fear in them and I instantly stopped the jutsu. I called the water back, closing my eyes. The ice quickly let go of Kakashi, as if it had been burned. "Good…are you okay?"

"Just get out of here." I snapped, calling the water back to my shield. I didn't even look at him, but I felt his eyes on me. My normally green eyes flashed pale white as I looked up at him. "Go away!" I roared and he slowly turned before he jumped off. I whimpered in sorrow and slumped to my knees, feeling tears fall from my eyes. I let them roll down my cheeks as I cried silently. I hated what I was, whatever it is. I'm tired of everyone being afraid of me. I decided then and there to hate whoever was afraid of me. I stood and violently rubbed the tears from my eyes.

I ran towards where I knew Naruto was still hanging upside down from a tree. I walked up and plastered on a fake smile when I saw him. "Need some help?" I asked, reaching for a kunai.

He smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Yes, please!" He called. I threw a kunai at the rope holding his foot and caught him before he hit his head on the ground. "Thanks, Kimiko." He said gratefully as he sat down and got to work on untying the rope from his ankle.

"No problem. Listen, I figured out the point of the test. Kakashi-sensei wants us to work together to get the bells. Sasuke refuses to, but I could probably make him. What do you say?" I asked as he stood and brushed off his pants.

"No, thanks, Kimiko. I'm determined to do this on my own!" He yelled and ran off. I groaned.

"You two are hopeless! We need to work together!" I yelled in anger. I sighed huffily and jumped off to find Sasuke and ask again.

I was looking through trees when I heard, "Kimiko?"

I looked towards where my name had been called and paused in taking a step, one foot in the air. I saw Sasuke's…head. My left eye twitched until I dropped down to kneel in front of him. I swear, his face at this moment was just too cute. Wait…cute? Gah! Noooo! The world has ended! I actually think Sasuke looks cute?

I ignored the raging arguments in my head and poked his forehead. "Is it real?" I pondered with a childish face.

He blushed slightly. I think it's in anger, but I'm not sure. "Yes, I'm real!"

"No way. Sasuke wouldn't get caught in the Headhunter Jutsu, would he?" I mused, ignoring him, and tilted my head to the side, probably looking like a puppy.

"Yes, it's me and I did get caught, now get me out!" He yelled and I blinked.

"No need to get snappy…" I growled and pulled out a kunai to dig him out. "I still can't believe you got caught. Let me guess, you tried to take him on and you weren't good enough?"

He scoffed and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm gonna take that as a 'yes'." I decided and I reached his arm, so I put my kunai away and pulled him out by his arm. "Now will you listen to me?" I asked as he stood and brushed off his clothes. I stood next to him and placed my hands on my hips.

"No." He replied.

"Don't make me do a Sakura fan girl thing." I threatened and stepped towards him. He shot his glare at me as he stepped backwards, but I kept advancing.

"You wouldn't…"

"I would." I smirked, but then stopped in my movements. "But it's almost noon."

"I've got to get a bell before lunch." Sasuke said and prepared to walk away. "That doesn't leave much time."

"Well, let me help you then!" I snapped.

"A while ago, I touched one." He stated, looking at me and I froze. I remembered that I had almost gotten a bell by literally almost killing Kakashi. "Next time, I'll get one."

"Good for you." I mumbled angrily and he tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Why? What happened to you?" He asked suspiciously and I sighed.

"You remember how I skipped school for about a week last month?" I asked and he nodded. "I was training with my guardian and I took it too far. I almost killed her. The same thing almost happened to Kakashi." I admitted, looking at the ground angrily. I then scoffed and turned away. "You'll never get a bell without someone to help you, you know. We're supposed to be a team." He growled and glared at me. I just glared right back.

"I'm the only one who can destroy that person." Sasuke admitted, turning away. The wind blew our hair around and made leaves come into the picture.

"Who are you trying so hard to destroy, Sasuke?" I asked softly, dropping the glare and calming down slightly.

"That day, I was crying." He didn't seem to be listening to me.

"What day, Sasuke?" I asked.

"It was my…" He trailed off and I stayed silent. He clenched his fists. "I am an avenger. That means I must be stronger than my prey. I need this training. There's no time for setbacks."

"Sasuke, revenge isn't the answer." I shook my head sadly and he looked at me.

"How would you know? You've never had anybody to avenge!" He snapped angrily and I sighed.

"Yes, I do." I said forcefully and his eyes widened slightly. "I used to want to avenge my guardian. Her sensei hated her and tried to kill her. She's been mentally and emotionally scarred ever since!" I said angrily. "I still want to kill her sensei, but I won't do it by myself. If I ever had to, I'd allow people to help me."

Before he could reply, the alarm went off, signaling that it was noon.

"I've wasted too much time!" Sasuke realized and I sighed as we started to head back to the clearing with the posts in it. When we got there, Naruto was tied to the one in the middle. Sasuke sat on his right and I sat on Naruto's left. Two lunch boxes were laid out in front of Naruto. All of our stomachs were growling now. I groaned and held my stomach.

"Uh, oh." Kakashi said slowly as he stood in front of us, arms crossed over his chest. "Stomachs growling. That's too bad." He let his arms drop and placed one on his waist and held the other in the air, a finger up. "Oh, by the way, about this exercise? Well, I've decided I won't send any of you back to the Academy."

"We passed?" I asked slowly. "I nearly killed you and you're passing me?" I asked in an unbelieving tone. "Do I get points for that or something?"

"Then, then, that means all three of us!" Naruto said excitedly and kicked his legs around.

Kakashi smiled. "Yes, all three of you…are being dropped from the program…permanently." Naruto immediately stopped his cheering and Sasuke and I glared hatefully at the sensei.

"Drop us from the program? That means we can never become ninja!" Naruto realized, panicking. "You said if we couldn't take the bells, we'd be sent back to the Academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that?"

Kakashi looked bored with the subject. "Because you don't think like ninjas. Well, Kimiko does." He said and I looked up, confused. "You think like little kids, like brats."

Sasuke growled and ran towards Kakashi with a kunai. I blinked in surprise and Kakashi was now sitting on Sasuke's back, his foot on Sasuke's head. His kunai hand was pointed at the back of his head.

"You think it's all about you. You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game, huh? Why do you think we put you on squads? Did you consider that question for one moment? The only one I noticed actually thinking about it was Kimiko. She's the only one who realized what this exercise was all about."

"What it's about?" Naruto asked.

"Kimiko, if you would?" Kakashi requested and I blinked.

Then I remembered. "Teamwork."

"Yes, that's what determines whether you pass or fail. Three people on a squad, why do you think we would do that?"

"Just working together?" Naruto asked and I growled, punching him upside the head.

"I told you idiots that from the very beginning!" I reminded them and Naruto whimpered.

"That's what I mean." Kakashi said, answering Naruto's question. "It's too late now, but if all three of you had come at me, you might have been able to take them! Well, anyway, it's over."

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei, there's three of us and two bells. How was that supposed to work out?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"Exactly. I purposely pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the squad ahead of yourselves. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork, like Kimiko does. It never even crossed your minds." He said the last part to Sasuke and Naruto. "Naruto! You do everything on your own. Everything. And you, Sasuke, thought that the others were so far beneath you that they were worthless. Kimiko helped you both and neither of you were willing to work together with her. Arrogance. Ninja missions are carried out in squads. Of course you need individual skills, but team work is the most essential element. Every Shinobi understands this. When individuals put themselves above the squads, this could lead to failure and death. For example." He pulled out a kunai and held it at Sasuke's neck. "Kimiko, kill Naruto now, or Sasuke dies!" He ordered and I froze.

I mean, I don't like Sasuke all that much, but he's my partner. I can't let him die. Plus, since I have bloodlust, I don't know what'd happen if I killed someone.

"That's what happens on a mission." Kakashi stated slowly. "The enemy takes a hostage and you've gotta make an impossible choice. And someone winds up dead." He put his kunai away and got off of Sasuke. "On every mission, your life is on the line." He walked over to the big black stone a little ways in front of us. "Did you look at this stone?" He asked and I looked away. I knew perfectly well what that stone was. "The names engraved on it? They are all ninja who are honored as heroes in our village."

"That's it! That's it! That's it! Now I know! I've decided I'm gonna have my name engraved on that stone!" Naruto admitted and I frowned, keeping my eyes shut tightly. "I'm not gonna live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm gonna be a hero, a hero!" He stated as Sasuke walked back to us and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"They are…a special kind of hero." Kakashi informed him, glancing at me briefly. I just kept my eyes closed and looked at the ground. My bangs covered my eyes.

"What kind of heroes are they? C'mon, tell us!" Naruto said and Kakashi remained quiet. "Well? Well?"

"They are all…K.I.A."

"That sounds real cool!"

"Naruto…" I whispered and he hummed, looking at me. I looked up with sad eyes. "It means they were killed in action. They all died on missions." His eyes widened and he looked down after a moment.

"This is a memorial stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved here. People some of you might know, even." Kakashi continued and I felt tears welling up in my eyes, I quickly turned my head away. Anko had told me once that my father was friends with a silver haired, perverted book reading ninja. It must've been him. "Alright, I'm going to give you one more chance!" He said and he looked back at us. I quickly wiped away my tears. A ninja must never show their emotions. "But I'm going to make it much harder on you. You'll have three hours to get a bell. Eat now to build up your strength, but Naruto doesn't get any. It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself. And if anyone tries to feed him, that person will immediately fail. I make the rules. You follow them. Got it?" He asked dangerously before he disappeared. Sasuke and I opened the lunch boxes, but I couldn't bring myself to eat it in front of Naruto like this. I glanced at him as his stomach growled again.

"This is no big deal! I can go without eating for days, for weeks! Believe it! This is no big deal!" His stomach growled louder and he shrunk slightly. "No problem…"

I sighed and held my barely eaten out of lunch box to him with a small smile. "Here, Naruto." Sasuke looked over at me as Naruto quickly shook his head.

"But, Kimiko, you'll fail!" Naruto exclaimed and I scoffed.

"Naruto, in my book, if we want to succeed, we all have to be strong. You're probably about ready to keel over, so here. I'm not all that hungry anyways." I told him, but my stomach betrayed me. I sweat dropped and he frowned. "Seriously, I'm fine." My stomach growled again, but I just smiled more.

"Here…" Sasuke said as he held out his own lunch box to Naruto. Naruto and I gaped at him in surprise. "Kakashi's gone. We need to get those bells as a team. If Naruto's hungry, he'll be weak and ineffective. That hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission." I smiled, but shook my head.

"It's okay, Sasuke. I'll just split mine with Naruto, since my stomach won't shut up." I shrugged and he looked at me.

"You sure?" He asked and looked at me curiously as my stomach growled, yet again.

I blushed and looked away. "Yes, I'm sure. If I'm hungry still when all the food's gone, I'll mooch off you." I warned and a smirk appeared before he nodded and started to eat again. I sighed and turned to Naruto, food at the ready. "I'm only doing this once." I told him and he grinned.

"That's the same thing you told Kiba that one time he broke both of his arms and you went to visit him. Remember how you had to feed him, too?" Naruto asked and before he could say anything more, I pushed some rice into his mouth with a deadpan face.

"Shut up and eat your food." Sasuke commanded. "He could come back any minute."

"Remind me to never do this again for anybody. Not even Shikamaru, Choji, Aki, or Kiba. Not even my husband or boyfriend because this is degrading." I stated and gave Naruto some more food, who chewed happily. I just sighed in exasperation.

Suddenly, there was a big explosion type thing that caused a bunch of dust to kick up.

"You!" Kakashi yelled, jumping out from the smoke. Naruto screamed in fright, but Sasuke and I glared and prepared for a fight. "You broke the rules! I hope you're ready for the punishment!" He did a few hand signs and dark clouds started to appear above, along with thunder and lightning. "Any last words?"

"But you said…" Naruto trailed off, afraid.

"Yes?" Kakashi cocked his head to the side threateningly.

"You said that there were three of us! That's what you said and that's why Kimiko and…"

"We're all on this squad and we're all in it together." Sasuke pointed out and I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we gave our lunches to Naruto because we're one in a whole!" I stated.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Believe it! That's right!" Naruto yelled, kicking his legs around.

"The three of you are one? That's your excuse?" Kakashi asked, placing his hands on his hips. We all waited in anticipation to see what he would do next. He smiled. "You pass."

"What?" I yelled angrily as I stood straight.

"You pass!" He repeated and also stood straight. The sky cleared again.

"How'd we pass?" I asked, more calmly.

"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true. But…those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

I grinned in remembrance. Aki had told me that once when she first became friends with me. I had accidently used my powers in front of her and she didn't abandon me like everybody else. When I asked why she had told me that. It's also the code that Anko taught me as a kid; I've made it my Nindo.

I glanced at Naruto to see him close to tears. I then looked at Sasuke. Even he looked happy, a small smirk on his face.

"He's, uh…You know, he's kinda cool." Naruto mumbled tearfully and I giggled.

"The exercise is over. Everyone passes!" Kakashi gave us a thumbs up. "Squad 7 starts its first mission tomorrow!"

"Sir, yes, sir." I saluted with a huge silly grin.

"I did it, I did it! Believe it! I'm a ninja, ninja, ninja!" Naruto yelled happily.

"Let's go home." Kakashi suggested and Sasuke and I started to follow after him, me with a skip in my step.

"I knew they'd do this! It happens every time! Believe it!" Naruto growled and I paused, along with the others. Kakashi and I were smiling in a knowing way and Sasuke had a small smirk on. "You guys forgot to untie me!" He yelled finally and I giggled. I took out a kunai and threw it at the ropes holding Naruto to the post.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I apologize for the long wait on updates, but I had a lot of homework to do and I was recently sick, but now I'm not, so here we are! Heheh... Sorry again. I'll try to get the next few chapters out faster. I'm not promising a specific date 'cause I know that I'll break that promise, so no! I won't do it. Anyways, please review with your constructive critism so that I can somehow make this poorly put together story better!<strong>


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